A brief but engaging tale
by Shibhon
Summary: Meh. Neal, Kel, and Dom in a bar. Dom starts drooling over Kel's fingernails. Enough said.


A Brief but engaging tale  
  
The Jugged Hare was more than bustling that night. Bar fights broke out hourly. The room was filled with bloody noses, cracked jaws, and black eyes. Every once in a while the drinkers would have to lift their trenchers to allow for a passing body to slide down the length the bar.  
  
In the far corner of the room was the usual small band of nobles, the group that the rest tended to give a wide berth. No one wanted to be taken by the Provost for sloshing ale on an expensive tunic. So, not only were the nobles bombarded by the noise of the local brawls, they were also ignored.  
  
"Couldn't you have picked a more peaceful setting for our last meal?"  
  
"Are you kidding? I love this bar! Look at the action! The excitement!"  
  
"Excitement? You call this excitement?"  
  
"Oh, come on, Neal, live a little!"  
  
"Live a little? Live a little?"  
  
"Aw, Dom! Now he's going to go into a rant about the value of serenity and control!"  
  
"What? Do you think that I have nothing to teach you, now that you're a big, tough Lady Knight? Well, I'll have you know that I am 5 years your senior, and I just might know a little about--!"  
  
"Oi! Watch out!" A nearby keg was smashed by the brawlers, sending the entire tavern into a moment of shocked silence.  
  
Neal slowly raised his hand to wipe a droplet of ale from his forehead. Flicking it away with disdain, he turned back to his friends. Though his cousin, Domitan of Masbolle, was untouched, but Kel had come off much worse than Neal. A good portion of her cloak had been drenched and her orderly brown hair and delicate nose were sprinkled with amber droplets. She didn't really seem to mind that much, in the spirit of the evening, but Dom was taking great care in drying her off. Kel's hazel eyes pleaded with Dom to leave her be, but Neal's cousin insisted he help.   
  
Neal smiled to himself, gazing fondly upon the scene. Though Dom would never admit it, he definitely had a soft spot for Neal's best friend. He let them fuss for a few more minutes before speaking. "I'm sorry to intrude upon this intimate moment, but perhaps you two could leave it 'till the honeymoon and we could get on with our evening?"  
  
Kel's face went perfectly still, showing no trace of emotion, but Neal knew that she was blushing on the inside. Dom didn't take any caution in hiding his embarrassment, and turned bright red. Neal grinned delightedly at their response, receiving a death glare from Dom.  
  
"Take a long walk on a short pier, Meathead," replied a tight-lipped Dom, "Your sarcasm is not appreciated." He added, after a pause, "And this is not an intimate moment!" Dom returned his attention to Kel and pointedly ignored Neal for the rest of the evening.   
  
Neal sighed somewhere around Dom's fifth dreamy gaze at Kel. His evening was pretty much trashed from this point on. At first it had been amusing, watching Dom swoon over and over whenever Kel picked at something between her teeth or bit a fingernail. Now, it was annoying. Really annoying.   
  
Neal drummed his fingers on the table, looking from one friend to another. Kel was oblivious, chuckling a little as three drunks did a "variation" of what might have been the tango. Dom had a moony look on his face, tracing patterns in spilled ale. That was it. He couldn't take it anymore.   
  
"Kel, could you just put him out of his misery and lay one on him!!" Neal was standing up now, chest heaving, his finger pointing accusingly at Dom, who looked as if he wanted to sink into the floor. His outburst had gone thankfully unnoticed in the bar, since there was now so much noise that almost nothing could be discerned. Kel looked at him with an unreadable expression for a while, then turned to Dom. He had his head in his hands, embarrassed. Kel looked back to Neal, and, without tearing her eyes off him, grabbed Dom by the neck and kissed him.   
  
Neal sat in complete amazement as the kiss went on. They were a little too ....... enthusiastic, for his tastes. Kel's arms were wrapped around him now, and Dom's hands were playing in her hair, blindly pressing their faces closer together. They had obviously forgotten his presence. Now he could see tongues flickering through open mouths. Disgusting. Neal gave yet another frustrated sigh. He had tried to stop Dom from ruining his evening with his sentimentality, and just ended up with something even worse: watching his cousin and his best friend play tonsil hockey.  
  
Raising his hand to the barmaid, he yelled above the noise of the brawls, "Cheque please!" 


End file.
